In Pools of Red
by GeneticMutation
Summary: Once again troubled by the sighting of a mysterious sharingan user, and worried that the reports could be connected to the Shin incident, Sasuke calls on Naruto. The two go off to the home of a very special type of flower, and find something no one ever thought could exist. More explanation inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! I will start out by saying that I'm very glad you are here! These next few bolded paragraphs are very** _ **IMPORTANT**_ **** **so I ask that you take a moment to read them!**

 **This story will be mainly reflecting on the character of Uchiha Itachi, whom I believe to be the most well developed and tragic character in the series, and an original character I created as his daughter Uchiha Tsubaki. Now, I am trying to be as accurate to the story as possible and just add this story into the already existing one. And to do that, I will be using some already existing plot holes, and I will have to slightly alter the timelines and ages of the characters to make everything fit.**

 **If me manipulating these things to fit bothers you, then click away my dearest children!**

 **Now to fit everything I'm pushing some dates around so pay attention! We know that Itachi left the leaf village at the age of 13 following the assassination of his clan. After that 5 years pass before the actual beginning of the Naruto story. I am pushing that back by one year. Meaning that at the beginning of the year in which Naruto's story begins, Itachi is 18 turning 19 in June of that year and Sasuke is 13 turning 14 with the rest of the academy graduates. I will not tell you quite yet why I need that year I just do. Then, we know that 2 and a half years separate the events of the first part and the second part. I am pushing that back by 2 years. That would mean that when he dies, Itachi will be 25. And the other characters ages will be altered accordingly. Everything else stays the same there is just a greater amount of time between big events. I always thought things escalated way too quickly anyway. And I needed the time for this story to work lol.**

 **Now! Onto my OC. And no need to worry everyone, like I said I am doing my best to make everything seem feasible in the actual perimeters of the story. This won't be one of those perfect 'Mary Sue' self-insert type characters. Given, she is a character I created to roleplay with, and yes, like Itachi was, she's a bit of a prodigy at first, but my roleplay partners and I always want things to fit perfectly within the actual story. Anyway she isn't godlike at all and she definitely isn't perfect. I don't want to spoil things so I'll leave it at that!**

 **If these things confused anyone I will be happy to explain further, just pm me!**

 **This story actually begins within the Boruto time following the arc with Uchiha Shin, but as I said, one of the purposes of this story is to explore Itachi's character so obviously there will be a LOT of flashbacking. I will label all the flashbacks though so no need to fear there! My time fiddling will not affect the ages of the next generation only the years of their birth have been changed. They are all still 12 here. However, given the 3 years I added to the Naruto story the ages of the original Naruto characters are accordingly altered making Naruto and his generation roughly 35-36.**

 **One last thing, I am very very American. Which means that I speak English and I don't know very much about Japanese. Or the suffixes that are used at the end of names in Japan. So for the sake of not butchering them and offending others, I am just gonna leave those out...**

 **Again pm me if you get confused, because some of the things in this story may get a bit confusing, and I will be happy to clear things up!**

 **I don't own Naruto and I am not doing this for money!**

 **Naruto's pov**

I sighed for what must have been the hundredth time that hour. I love being Hokage, but I seriously hate paperwork. I move on to the next sheet in the truly impressive mountain just as Shikamaru enters my office.

I audibly groan assuming he has brought me more work.

"Don't make that sound it's not more paperwork this time." He says with an air of bemusement.

"Really? Well then what is it?" I say perking up immediately.

Shikamaru rolls his eyes and gives me a small capsule from a carrier bird, "A message. From Sasuke I assume. It says it's urgent."

I warily open the message and feel my body tense at the words.

"What is it?" Shikamaru asks quietly.

"He has heard word of someone else possessing the sharingan. He was heading to investigate when he sent this message. He thinks it may be connected to Shin." I answer in a low voice.

Shikamaru's eyes widen, "What? Are you serious? I thought that Shin guy had been taken care of..."

"So did I. I'm gonna need you to take care of things here for a day or two. He's included a meeting point here. He must need back up. I'll leave a clone too." I say as I stand from my work.

"Of course. Be careful." He says.

I smile and wave at him as I leap out of the window to help my best friend.

 **Sasuke's pov**

As I wait in an abandoned cabin for the dobe, I ponder what this could mean. Shin and his 'sons' had been a shock, but it was nowhere near the randomness of this new lead. They call him a 'red eyed beast' in the small poor village where I heard the rumor and they definitely were less than fond of whoever it was. Uchiha were met with respect but also suspicion at best so that doesn't surprise me, and it was not really uncommon to hear rumors about supposed sharingan users when really, they were elaborate fakers or the like. What did bother me were the reports that those who went up the mountain to try and confront him, came back lethargic and nearly unreachable and with all of their memories of the place erased except for the memory of glowing red eyes.

There were few things that description would fit, and none of them were good. Most likely of all of those things was that this person not only possessed the sharingan, but had also awakened a mangekyou sharingan as well and could use some kind of genjutsu akin to the Tsukuyomi. That alone would be cause for worry, excepting all the other very strange things that have happened here.

My thoughts were cut short when I heard the thump of someone arriving outside. After casting my senses out and confirming it was the man I was waiting for I rise from my spot and step out to meet him.

"Hey Sasuke. Heard you may need an extra hand... Get it? 'Cause you only got one?" he says wearing his ridiculously wide grin.

I can't help but smile a little. I've missed him despite myself and I almost find myself wishing Sarada had followed him again.

"Very funny. You sure no children followed you this time?" I say.

"Yup I'm sure. Where is this guy anyway?" He says taking on a more serious tone.

I raise my arm and point towards the mountain, "There if the accounts from the villagers are to be believed."

"What do you know about him?" Naruto asks with a head tilt.

"Hn. Not much. He is quite adept at hiding so it seems, but he most likely has a mangekyou sharingan and he uses some form of extremely potent genjutsu to keep people off the mountain. We will have to stay on guard." I reply.

"Let's get going, tell me everything on the way." he says.

I nod and take off in the direction the villagers had told me. My explanation leaves Naruto just as confused and concerned as I am.

"You don't think that guy could be using Tsukuyomi do you?" He says as we leap through the trees.

I shrug, "It isn't impossible given the descriptions I have heard. I have never heard of that inducing amnesia before though. Just be cautious and whatever you do, don't look into his eyes."

We came to a stop just before the tree line opened up into a broad clearing and hid in the shadows. I cast out my senses and find one notable chakra. It doesn't seem to be threatening in fact is one of the most calm that I have felt. Naruto and I glance at each other having both picked up on the same thing and both of us are equally perplexed by it.

I cautiously scan the area with my sharingan to pinpoint the source of the energy but there is some kind of strange mist of chakra over the whole place and it prevents me from being able to lock-on to the oddly familiar sensation of the person's chakra.

"That will not assist you in finding me." says a soft and serene woman's voice from behind us.

Both Naruto and I jump and spin around assuming attack positions.

"The sharingan that is. The moon flowers have their own chakra and they release it into the air around this place at a steady rate rendering those eyes of yours fairly useless for searching purposes." she continues.

She is sitting on a tree branch with a passive look as she stares down at us. She looks quite young, she can't be much older than Sarada, and she has long silky midnight black hair most of which is pulled back into a high ponytail save her long bangs that fall just past her shoulder on her right side halfway covering one of her obsidian black eyes. In the center of her forehead was a black crescent moon symbol.

"Wha- What the hell are you doing here?!" Naruto screeches unintelligently.

She regards him as if he is particularly slow, "I live here. A much better question is why you people cannot simply leave me alone."

I growl, "We are searching for someone called the red eyed beast. Where is he?"

"He huh? You assume that the beast is a he. Are you sexist or daft?" She says with an unchanging tone. There is something incredibly familiar about her but what?

"Are you this beast then?" I demand lowly.

"No." she replies.

Naruto steps forward once, "Don't play games with us. Just tell us what we want to know. We aren't here to hurt you."

"I am not playing games. You asked me if I was the one known as the Red Eyed Beast and I am not. I believe I have been more than fair considering that you two are the trespassers here." she says in that unwavering serene voice with those calm, self-assured eyes. Why is this girl so familiar?

"Just tell us who this beast is. And why they have eyes like mine." I say.

"Those two things are completely unrelated. The Red Eyed Beast is dead. If you have come in search of her you will be disappointed. That name was one the ever pleasant people in the village below forced upon my mother. You are mistaken to think she possessed the sharingan. They called her that because she had a genetic disorder that made her skin as white as snow but her eyes as red as blood. The beast part referred to her ability to phase between human and animal. It was the way she was but they hated her for it just as they hate me. If you have come in search of one who bares the eyes of your clan however," she said as she blinked and revealed her sharingan, "than look no farther for here she sits, Uchiha Sasuke. Now I will ask a question. What exactly is it that you have come for? I will defend myself and my mother's legacy if you attack, no matter how futile it would be."

Naruto gives me a look as I step forward, sword raised, "I have come for the damn truth. Who are you? How do you know my name?"

"The truth… are you sure that is what you want?" she asks as she regards me with her serene red eyes. So incredibly familiar...

"Get down here and answer my questions damn you!" I demand leveling my sword at her. Naruto puts a hand on my shoulder which I promptly shrug off.

She sighs and slides gracefully off the tree branch landing perfectly on her feet, "I simply guessed your name. It was not exactly hard to do, there are not many Uchiha left. As for my name, it is Uchiha Tsubaki."

My eyes widen as I suddenly have a flash from my past.

...

 _I remembered peeking around the hall looking for my big brother, only a few days before he carried out that bloody mission, and seeing him with our mother. I was about to run to him and ask him to train me when I heard what they were talking about and curiously decided to listen._

 _"I never see you with any nice girls, Itachi. You'll never have any children at this rate!" my mother said to him in a half joking tone._

 _My brother just chuckled, "Am I not a bit young to be thinking of children, mother?"_

 _"Well maybe a little," she conceded, "but if you were, would you want a boy or a girl?"_

 _Itachi just smiled, knowing that she was playing with him but he still went along with it, "A girl."_

 _"A girl? That's a little surprising. Why a girl?" Mother asked genuinely curious._

 _"I don't know... It is just if I picture myself with a child of my own, I see a little girl." he said in an almost wistful tone._

 _"Aha! So you have been thinking of kids. At least a little." she said with a triumphant giggle._

 _My brother's tone took on a tinge of sadness but at the time, I didn't have a clue why, "Maybe I have allowed myself to daydream about having a family of my own someday..."_

 _"It isn't like that's impossible Itachi," mother said unknowingly, "Well don't hold out, what would her name be?"_

 _"Her name?" he repeated to himself, "I would name her after a flower I think... Tsubaki_ _would be a nice name."_

 _..._

"No that isn't possible," I mumble shaken by the similarities between her and my brother that now stood out tenfold.

"You say that, yet it does not negate the fact that I stand before you existing does it?" she said.

I scowl at her refusing to believe a word of it, "If you truly gained those eyes by blood that who were your parents?"

"My mother's name was Okami Aya and my Father's name was Uchiha Itachi." she states simply.

I hear Naruto's exclamation of shock from behind me but I'm too consumed by my own emotions to truly acknowledge him. I have so many emotions swelling within that I can't react to them. I settle on anger and denial.

"You're lying! You are too young to have even met my brother much less be his child! Don't try and make a fool of me!" I shout.

"I have no reason to lie. He is my father and I have earned the right to say so! If you are not going to use your eyes then I shall just have to make you see through mine!" She growled out, which is a startling change in her previously serene tone.

Before Naruto or I can respond, the moon symbol on her forehead glows harshly and the world seems to melt away...

...

 _When I regained awareness I was standing beside Naruto in the same place as before. But it was different... it seemed brighter somehow. Or mistier..._

 _I glance at Naruto who looks just as confused as me then look around for the girl._

 _"Where did she go? What did she do to us?" I ask._

 _"How am I supposed to know? Genjutsu?" He replies._

 _"Yes and no. I drug you into my mindscape." Said the same serene voice from before, "So that I could show you memories. Some of them are mine and some are my mother's. And a few are my father's as well but very few. It is the story of my parent's short love, my birth, and some of my childhood. Maybe after this you'll believe me."_

 _I glare at her a moment before movement draws my attention away from her and to none other but my late older brother, "I-Itachi?!"_

 _"He can't hear you. This is just a memory. Be quiet and watch." She snipped._

 _I growl but settle down and watch the scene play out._

 _He doesn't seem to be in any sort of hurry and his shark like partner is nowhere to be found. Grief that I never really dealt with settles in my chest as I watch him. Naruto once again places a hand on my shoulder and this time I accept my friend's comfort and place my hand over his._

 _Itachi stops and looks back, "You can come out." His deep voice says._

 _"Rats. I thought I could hide long enough to catch you in my genjutsu." Says a rough but obviously female voice as she hops down form a tree. This woman is physically similar to the Tsubaki girl but she is taller with pure white hair and blood red eyes. She wears a simple pink kimono tied together with a crimson ribbon._

 _"Genjutsu does not work on me. What is it that you want," my brother says turning to her to reveal his sharingan._

 _"Well this is my territory after all. I simply wished to know who was trespassing. Unfortunately, we have come to an impasse. I can see from your eyes that you must be an Uchiha. Which means you also must be Uchiha Itachi. If you have come here to harm this place or the flowers that grow here then be prepared to kill me. I know I cannot defeat you, but I will defend my mother's legacy with my life." She said in casual tone as if commenting on the weather._

 _I squint at the similarities between her words and Tsubaki's from before then refocus on the memory._

 _"I mean no harm to this place or to you." He says simply._

 _"Oh thank kami! You scared me there!" The woman says with a slight smile, "In that case I'm Aya. I apologize sincerely for my rude behavior, but many people come here for less than honorable reasons and I am the only remaining guardian. I must always be poised to defend."_

 _Itachi nods his acknowledgment, "Aya... Are you the witch rumored to live in these mountains?"_

 _"Well that's what everyone calls me sure. I am no witch though. I'm a healer. Have you come seeking my services then?" She asks cocking her head to the side curiously._

 _Itachi nods once more, "I have a... Disease I believe. I was wondering is you could cure it. Your abilities are well known around this place though from the 'Beast' names they call you I can tell you aren't very well liked..."_

 _"That comes with the clan I'm afraid," she says with a sigh, "One bad apple spoils the bunch as they say. Anyway, come with me and let's see about this disease of yours."_

 _The memory changes and suddenly we are standing inside a cottage watching a new scene._

 _The healer bustles around the surprisingly large space gathering material and my brother watches her from where he kneels on a blanket with an unreadable look._

 _"What did you mean earlier?" He asks suddenly._

 _"Hmm? Mean by what?" She replies not looking away from her work._

 _"When you said that the villager's distrust of you 'comes with the clan' what did you mean?" He says more clearly._

 _She briefly pauses and regards him for a moment before returning to her work, "Well I don't normally use my clan name, but it is Okami. It isn't much of a clan anymore, I'm the only one left living, but back in their day the Okami clan was known throughout this small country side as healers and shape shifters. We all had the power to shapeshift into an animal form you see. Most of my clan we're a peaceful lot and we enjoyed staying in our small mountainside homes and bringing healing to those around us. But like I said, a few bad apples spoil the bunch... A few of our members became restless in their position and strive to move away from the countryside community where we were all raised. They became corrupted and greedy and thought only of themselves. They were intentionally cruel to villagers and ransacked a lot of the little villages around here. Eventually all the people came to hate my clan even though the majority of us were peaceful..."_

 _As she explains she brings all the stuff she had gathered and sits beside Itachi with it._

 _"Hn" he said._

 _"Take off your cloak please." She says. When he complies she continues, "I'll have to examine you now to see what you have. I'll have to touch you, but I won't do so more than necessary and I promise not to hurt you in any way. Is that alright?"_

 _He nods, "It's fine."_

 _She then begins checking him over, "Describe your symptoms for me."_

 _"I have trouble breathing, my chakra reserves seem to be depleting bit by bit, there is a troublesome pain in my left shoulder that started out manageable but now is intense enough to interfere with missions, I have occasional dizzy spells, and bad headaches." Itachi lists off though his voice sounds unconcerned as it normally did._

 _"Mm." She says thoughtfully as she continues looking him over. She puts an ear to his chest, "take deep breaths."_

 _She listens to him breathe for a moment before pulling back and slowly and gently rubbing his neck right under his chin._

 _"How long have you been sick?" She asks._

 _"I have had small symptoms since I was very young but they have only become troublesome in the past three years or so." He say thoughtfully._

 _She looks at him oddly, "And how old are you?"_

 _"I'm sixteen."_

 _"You... You're only sixteen?!" She asks out of shock._

 _He nods once._

 _"That explains it then. I know what you have, but I can't cure it. It is the same disease that killed my father. As far as I know, it's nameless, but we always called 'lung rot' on account of the fact that it was always the lungs that were attacked most harshly. But the amount of stress you must have been put under for it to be this rampant at your age is phenomenal..." She says softly._

 _He sighs, "At least you could identify it. No other healer or doctor I've seen has been able to. There is no cure?"_

 _"No. But there is a treatment I can do that will significantly slow the progression of it and prolong your life by a large margin. I can also give you medicine to relieve your pain." She says, "But it's... Complicated."_

 _"How long would I have without it?" He asks._

 _She runs a hand through her white hair momentarily brushing her bangs out of the way of the black star mark on her forehead in the same place as Tsubaki's crescent moon, "Hard to say. Under normal circumstances with the speed that it has progressed, I'd say a year and a half maybe two years. But your work is dangerous and eventually the symptoms will become enough to impede your ability to perform. You'd be in big trouble then."_

 _He stays in a contemplative silence for a while before responding, "And how long would you be able to stretch my time?"_

 _"Well again it's difficult to say. It has progressed much faster in you than in my father... But I should be able to give you a couple of decades at the least." She says._

 _"Then I accept." He says with resolve._

 _She looks up at him with an unreadable look in her eyes, "There is something you need to know before you say that. This treatment isn't like any other that you'd get at a hospital. It involves the nectar of the moon flowers and my family's bloodline limit. It's very complex and it has side effects while I do it. It'll link our minds for a short time while I am using my bloodline limit. And when that happens there is no way to stop us from feeling this or seeing memories from the other. You'll feel some of my emotions and see some of my memories and vice versa."_

 _He looks at the floor and for another long while he doesn't say anything while he thinks, "That is unexpected. But it changes nothing. There is something that I must live to complete and to do that I need your help. No one else has been able to give me treatment."_

 _She sighs and then rises, "alright then. I don't know what you mean exactly but it sounds like you're sure. I'll get everything ready."_

 _The memory changes again and now Itachi is lying unconscious on a bed while the woman sits in a chair watching him silently. He stirs and she rises from her place to remove the cloth from his forehead so he won't knock it off as he sits up._

 _"How do you feel?" She asks in a hoarse voice._

 _He regards her with an unreadable gaze, "Better... What exactly happened?"_

 _She sighs, "Well I did tell you it would be a complex treatment. It weakens both the healer and the patient when it's used for a short time. But I can tell your strength is returning. Mine will take a bit longer to recoup but it will eventually."_

 _"That isn't exactly what I meant... I saw..." He trailed off with a distant look._

 _"That's why this jutsu isn't ideal. You saw little pieces of my life right?" She said knowingly._

 _He nods shortly and looks out the window beside him, "It was painful..."_

 _"Most people would think twice about sharing another person's thoughts even if it was for the sake of a treatment that could save their life. It is not easy. I have my burdens and you have yours and now to some extent we both bare each other's pain." She says as she takes up a set of needles and begins to work._

 _"Could you... tell me about it? It would help if I understood what I saw I think..." he asks softly._

 _"Alright. I suppose I should explain anyway. I told you earlier than my clan name was Okami and I said that people hated my clan because of a few radical members. They called us beasts and treated us as if we were animals simply because we could shapeshift into animal forms. Hatred is a very powerful thing. My clan was a very peaceful one for the most part. We were healers not warriors. In fact, many of us didn't even have combat related gifts and those that did were most gifted in genjutsu. You see, all of us had two Marks on our bodies. The first with which we are born is the celestial Mark," at this she moves her bangs and exposes the star on her forehead, "It would appear as either a Star, a Moon, a Sun, or one of the nine planetary symbols. Most commonly, we had the symbol of the Earth, or the symbol of the Star, like mine. Our abilities differed depending on our celestial Mark. The strongest of us bore the Sun or the Moon but they were exceptionally few. The other Mark was a beast Mark," Here she pulled the neckline of her kimono down just enough to expose a little green tattoo like symbol in the shape of a salamander, "this one was one we had to awaken later in life, much like your sharingan. The process for awakening it was quite different, but it was a similar concept in that the awakening of the second Mark was tied to emotions. The point is that most of my clan had common healer's celestial Marks and an animal form that was rather harmless as I do. And we were happy. But the villagers below called us beasts, witches, and insisted that we did insane bloody rituals with human sacrifices and the like. They distrusted us and that distrust grew to hatred which grew to genocide. My clan, even the defenseless, the innocent who were only healers and who would only be healers, all of them were rounded up and burned alive, one by one. Including my mother, and my older sister both who had the Mark of the Sun and tried to defend our home. I was too cowardly to help them. And my father had already succumbed to the disease by that point. If I had just done something..." She trails off and pauses her knitting to wipe the tears from her cheeks._

 _Itachi stays silent through her entire account and when he finally looks back at her there is unmistakable sadness in his eyes, "Forgive me. I should not have asked."_

 _"No no. It's fine. It feels nice to have someone to talk to about it for once. Ever since they died, I have been alone besides the few people who try to attack me." She says waving her hand in dismissal._

 _"Hn." Itachi says softly in reply, "you have told me quite a lot. And you healed me without question. Even though you must have known who I am and what I've done. Not to mention who I currently work for... Why would you lay so much faith in me?" He says thoughtfully._

 _"Because," she says in a quiet voice, "because I could tell when I saw you that you and I weren't all that different deep down. Because no matter who you are or what you have had to do, you're still a person and you deserve a little compassion. Because no matter friend or foe, I am a healer and you needed healing. Because I have been alone for so long and you looked a little lonely and lost too. But mostly because... I don't judge people based on the assumptions of others. I draw my own conclusions about people. And I don't think you're a bloodthirsty sociopath like everyone says. I think you're actually a kind person who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And if you'd let me in... I'd like to get to know you better"_

 _Itachi looks down and his bangs fall in front of his eyes, shielding them from view. They do not, however, keep the single tear track that runs down his face from being visible._

 _"If that's what you want... Promise that you will keep whatever secrets I tell you." He says softly._

 _"Of course. Nothing you choose to share with me leaves here. You have my word." She says with a bright smile._

 _He tells her everything. The whole truth. And his story keeps them both up long into the night, though neither of them seem to care. His opening up shocks me at first, but then I think of how talkative he has been with her from the start, when normally he would have only spoken when she asked him a question about his health. My paranoid older brother's walls were down from the very beginning. Somehow, it made me feel a great deal better to think he had someone like this woman who he felt at ease with. I look down at the child who still stands beside me in this realm of memory and find that I can no longer doubt what she told me. This is truly my brother's child. But her explanation didn't stop there. She intends for Naruto and me to see the whole truth._

 _And show us she did._

 **Lol do you like my cliffy? Really, this chapter just flowed out of me and it was getting really long so I thought, 'You know what? Time for evil.'**

 **Reviews are highly valued.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine nor am I making money off of this.**

 **Sasuke's Pov still in flashback**

 _After my brother recounted his story to Aya, they both fell asleep and the memory fades to a new one again._

 _This time, it is morning and he appears to be leaving._

 _"Now remember, you're going to need repeated treatments, so make sure you tell whoever you work for. You are sure your leader will allow you to return here at decent intervals for treatment?" she lectures._

 _He actually smiles a bit, "Yes when he sees how much of a difference it has made in my health I am certain he will allow me to return when I am not on missions."_

 _"Good. I want you to come see me as frequently as you can. At least once every three months if you can manage that. Alrigtht?" She says sternly._

 _"That sounds somewhat reasonable." He replies with a nod._

 _She nods curtly, "Well alright then. Good luck Itachi."_

 _"Until next time.. Aya." He says so quietly I almost doubt that she could hear him. She waves with a smile and he leaps into the leafy cloak of the trees._

 _As soon as he is gone from the clearing her expression changes to a sad thoughtful one, "You had better come back."_

 _The memory fades to a new scene, and I get the feeling it's a little farther in the future. The albino woman named Aya is humming softly and swaying her legs back and forth from where she is perched in the branch of a large tree right beside her little home._

 _Her face lights up when there is a familiar sound of someone approaching. She slides off the tree branch and lands rather roughly._

 _"Itachi!" She exclaims happily as she trots up to him, "I am so glad to see you! It's been too long."_

 _"It hasn't been that long." He says with a slight chuckle. She leads him inside._

 _"Yes it has! It's been a week over the three months! You were fairly prompt for your first follow up treatment, so I guess I got a little paranoid." She says._

 _He raised an eyebrow at her, "You know, you've only met me three times in the span of six and a half months, how could you know how punctual I am?"_

 _"Bah! Quantity of time doesn't count quality does. And I personally like spending time with you. Why can't you just say you missed me too, you big meanie." She says in a teasing tone._

 _"You sound childish." He replies._

 _"And you sound snobbish what's your point?" She fires back._

 _They both look at each other for a moment before laughing._

 _"But seriously," she says through giggles as she looks back up into his eyes, "I really did miss you."_

 _"I missed you as well," he finally concedes._

 _She blinks and then blushes, seeming to realize that she was staring and turns around, "Uuh, I am just gonna... Go get the moon flower nectar ready!" She says quickly before darting off._

 _I smile at how totally obvious they both are._

 _The white haired woman is as diligent with her work this time as she was last time. She sings a soft relaxing tune as she prepares to use her healing technique and Itachi watches her bustle around with a bemused expression._

 _This time, once she had finished, he did not pass out, but he still seems totally spent._

 _"That was not as bad as the previous two." He says still panting from the treatment._

 _"Gradually, you'll get used to the strain until these treatments will give you a surge of energy rather than depletion. Unfortunately they will remain quite taxing on me since I have to work the jutsu. I have truly pitiful chakra reserves after all." She says with a smile as she settles herself in a chair beside him._

 _He takes a moment to situate himself comfortably in the bed sitting up, "Can I ask you something?"_

 _"Of course. Are you confused about another of my memories?" She asks._

 _"No they were fairly straightforward this time. But I was wondering about the flowers. The ones you use in my treatment. They seem to be in a lot of your memories as well." He says with genuine curiosity._

 _"Oh those. They are called moon flowers. They are extremely rare flowers, they only grow in tranquil areas. Should an area be ravaged by conflict, or have too much noise, chakra signatures or activity in general, they refuse to take root and already living flowers will get root rot and die. That's why I have to be so diligent about keeping this area safe from trespassers who would try and steal the flowers. The patch I have so carefully attended here is one of the largest remaining in the world second only to the patch which is said to grow on the highest peak in this range, for that peak is so high that no one but the Okami with animal forms who could fly could get to it to harvest its nectar. With my clan mostly wiped out and my animal form being a flightless salamander that patch is regrettably beyond reach. All of the other patches are too small to be bothered with because my fellow clansmen who attended them are no longer around to defend them. The moon flowers produce their own special kind of chakra. When eaten, they can give someone greatly increased chakra reserves, strength, speed, and dexterity, but at a cost. One can become addicted to the raw power of the flowers to such a degree that they can no longer produce their own chakra and many went mad searching for the coveted flower long ago. It was the original reason my clan took to guarding them from unwary travelers, for we found it easy to resist the sweetness of the chakra nectar. After a while, we discovered that when combined with our bloodline limit, the flowers gave off healing radiation of incredible strength. The nectar is attracted to us, so we developed ways to harvest every drop the flowers could offer us and farmed them for it much like one would use a cow for milk. It's hard to explain exactly what we do with the nectar, but in a nutshell, it serves as a sort of bridge that allows us to pour our healing essence into anyone we touch which intern mends broken bones, illnesses, damaged cells and the like. That is called Soul Mend jutsu. The technique I use on you still requires moon flower nectar, if fact it requires a significant amount more than Soul Mend, however it is quite different from the base technique. Because some chronic illnesses are beyond even our ability to cure, and some of them like yours were found to be so incredibly aggressive that our Soul Mend could not even put a dent in them. Because of my father coming down with one such disease, my mother developed a new version, called Soul Merge that, for a short time, merges the user and the patient into one soul. While like this, a well-trained healer can then take the damage onto themselves and mend what can be mended, which slows progression of chronic diseases nearly to a halt. It requires a delicate hand and a willing mind though, most people cannot handle the mental strain of it." She explains._

 _"So you have to take even my physical pain upon yourself to be able to heal me?" Itachi asks. To most people he would seem emotionless but I could sense guilt at causing her pain._

 _"Yes, technically. But it isn't anything to beat yourself up over. It is my choice to do so entirely, and I have a much higher pain threshold than you do being that I am both an Okami and a woman." She says dismissively._

 _He sighs, "You already have to share my mental burdens. It doesn't seem fair to put my physical ones on your shoulders as well."_

 _"Again, it is my choice. You didn't force me to heal you, I chose to because I genuinely like you. Besides, I think you deserve someone to lean on every once in a while and I am proud to be that person, even if you won't admit it. You are great at fooling yourself." She says with a tired grin._

 _Itachi regards her blankly for a moment as if surprised by her choice of words then shakes his head, "Sometimes I wonder how it is that you read me so easily. I'd like to blame it on sharing memories with you but if that were the case I would be able to read you as easily as you do me."_

 _"I'm a healer, and I'm not exactly the spring chicken you think me to be. I have experience with these things." She says in a bemused tone._

 _"What do you mean 'spring chicken'?" he asks._

 _"Exactly what I said. I'm not as young as I look." She replies._

 _"That is not possible. You cannot be that much older than me." Itachi counters._

 _"Well you're half right. You're seventeen now right? My body is at nearly the same physical maturity as yours, around eighteen or nineteen, but I am actually 16 years older than you." She said casually._

 _Itachi reacted with the same shock level as Naruto and I both do and I hear Tsubaki give out a little chuckle, "How is that possible? That would mean that you're in your thirties." He says flabbergasted, though his expression doesn't show it._

 _"I am thirty-three to be exact," she says giggling, "You can't tell because my body doesn't age like it should. Over the years, living so close to the potent chakra of the moon flowers, the Okami clan gained increasingly strange traits one being longevity beyond that of a normal human which caused our growth and development rates to be extremely slow. Another was genetic mutations like my albinism, being much more common. It proved to be another reason for people to hate us in the end but we used to consider it a blessing."_

 _"Hn," was his only reply for a long time._

 _They contently remain in silence for a long enough time in fact that Aya starts awake from her doze when Itachi does speak again._

 _"Aya, forgive me for being so forward with you, but I do not get as much time with you as I would like. I think I'd like to kiss you." Itachi says._

 _I would have thought I had a stroke if I hadn't been in someone else's memory to hear that. Naruto has the nerve to laugh and I shoot him the infamous Uchiha glare. We both turn back to the memory to see how it goes._

 _Aya seems to be processing what he said she slowly blinks about three times, "Well you are right, that is forward. But I think I'd like that." she says leaning into him._

 _He closes the remaining distance and the memory fades to another right as their lips meet._

 _"Did they..?" Naruto asks the girl standing beside me as the image fades. I could guess what happened after the kiss given the look in both their eyes but I curiously turn to hear the answer anyway._

 _"Yes," she answers with a slight smile, "that was the night of my conception. You may think it a little fast, but you must understand that they pretty much shared a mind by then because of my mother's healing technique."_

 _Naruto makes his confused face and I sigh at his density when he asks, "But isn't she like, way older than him?"_

 _"Age doesn't matter all that much dobe. Besides, it isn't like my big brother was a child by any means." I say looking forward to view the next memory._

 _"That's true." Tsubaki says, "But also her body was the same physical maturity as his. The body does have an effect on the mind you know."_

 _The space around us swims for a moment and we are thrust back into her memories._

 _Aya rests under the tree she is normally seen sitting in, presumably waiting for Itachi. She rubs her belly where she has began to show pregnancy and watches the leaves of the tree rustle._

 _A nearly silent thump alerts her to my brother's arrival and she excitedly pushes herself up to greet him._

 _"Itachi!" She bubbles as she jumps up to hug him._

 _He actually gives a small smile at this, "Aya."_

 _She backs off of him grinning like a fool. He notices her slightly protruding stomach and immediately reactivates his Sharingan._

 _"You're..." He stutters. I find his shocked expression slightly comical._

 _The albino nods with a giggle, "I'm pregnant."_

 _"It's.. mine?" He asks._

 _"Of course it is! What kind of girl do you think I am!?" She says with an indignant pout._

 _He raises his hands defensively, "I did not mean it that way. I am... surprised is all..."_

 _Aya nods, "So was I. Good surprised or bad surprised?"_

 _"Both really. What are we going to do with a baby?" He says._

 _"I have no clue. Everything is such a mess. The world, and us included. I mean I know you can't be here very much, and the baby will not get to spend much time with his or her father... And I am much less than qualified to take care of a baby. And then there is all the turmoil running rampant through the world to think about. Niether of us will be able to protect the baby from all of it. Even so I... I'm really kind of happy about it. I have always wanted a baby, deep down but I never thought I'd meet anyone who I loved enough to bring one into the world with. I know it is a shock and it complicates things but..." She says with a light blush before trailing off._

 _"Given the choice, I never wanted to bring a child into this world..." Itachi says softly in reply._

 _Hurt clearly shines in Aya's red eyes, "Oh."_

 _He places a hand gently on her belly, "It isn't because I didn't want a child. I do very much. I want to be able to stay here with you and raise our baby together. Better yet, I want to be able to take you and our baby to the leaf village and raise her together, and I want her to be able to know her clan and her uncle and I want her to know the love of friends in a village. I want to be able to marry you, Aya and have more children with you. But_ _I am fully aware none of that is possible. I killed my entire clan. My mother and my father included. I made my brother loathe me. I have done bad things Aya, very very bad things. You can easily place faith in me and forgive everything I have done, because you have never personally been a victim of my deeds. I cannot."_

 _"I have told you already that I don't care what you have had to do. I never had to forgive you for anything, because in my eyes there was never anything to forgive. You never wanted to do those things and you got no pleasure from doing them. Of course I'm not so naive as to believe that that makes you innocent, because it doesn't. That guilt is always going to be on your shoulders. But it does mean that it is not solely on your shoulders. You don't have to bare this all alone because I decided a long time ago to bare it with you. Not only that, but there are many other besides you who bare those sins on their shoulders as well, and they bare the blame for your suffering as well. But none of that means that you dont deserve to have a little bit of happiness. And I'll be damned if I let you believe that it does. I know you can never let go, and I know how much you're in pain... but while you're here with us you can let yourself be happy even if just for a moment." She says forcefully. I find myself thanking the gods for this woman. It puts my mind more at ease to know my brother had someone like her to lessen his pain._

 _"You are an extraordinary woman to see light even is someone as pitch black as me. I am starting to think your eyesight is better than the whole of the Uchiha clan's." He says as he pushes a strand of her hair behind her ear._

 _She giggles and places a hand over his leaning into his touch. She looks into his eyes intensely as if searching for something, "You are a little happy about this though aren't you?"_

 _"Yes. I am very happy. I worry about the state of the world our child comes into, and I fear how little time I may get with her but despite that and everything else I am still excited to be apart of bringing a new life into the world. Thank you for sharing this with me Aya." He says wearing a slight but genuine smile._

 _"I'm glad your happy, but why do you keep saying 'she'? How can you be so sure it's a girl in here?' She says._

 _"Call it a hunch. I am fairly certain it will be a girl." He says._

 _She raises an_ eyebrow _at him, "Alright then wise guy, since you're so sure we'll make a bet. If it's a girl, you pick her name but if it's a boy, I pick."_

 _"Alright then. But my instincts are normally accurate so I think it's fair to say her name will be Tsubaki." He says poking her in the forehead right on the star mark._

 _She laughs good naturedly, "You are such a smug jerk sometimes you know that right?"_

 _"I'm a smug jerk who is right though." He insists._

 _"Were all of the Uchiha so insufferablely self assured?" She asks still laughing._

 _"For the most part, yes." He replies with a nod._

 _I turn to glare at Naruto who his chortling, "What is so funny dobe?"_

 _"Hey I'm hokage You can't call me that anymore, believe it. And whats so funny is how hard that lady just hit the nail directly on the head." He says._

 _I scoff at him._

 _"He is not exactly wrong you know." Tsubaki says in a bemused tone. I scoff at her as well._

 _The memory swims again and clears to show the clearing cloaked in darkness. I look up at the night sky and then look around to find Aya sitting under her tree knitting what appears to be a blanket. This memory is quite a jump into the future, I can tell because she is significantly heavier in her pregnancy. The little bump from before is quite large now. It reminds me of when Sakura was pregnant and I feel a pang of linging for the family I rarely get to see. I shake it off and focus on the memory. Aya is obviously waiting out here for Itachi but he is quite late from the looks of it. Every so often she looks up from her knitting and looks anxiously around._

 _Then out of nowhere and so sudden it make both Naruto and I jump, a crash issues from the side of the clearing and the mighty trees shake from the force of whatever caused the noise._

 _"What in the world?" Aya says under her breath._

 _She drags herself to her feet and unconsciously puts an arm protectively over her belly before going to investigate. She takes a few cautious steps towards the treeline, then just as suddenly as the crash, my brother's shark-like partner unceremoniously leaps out of the trees firing off water style at something beyond view. Itachi follows, albeit much more gracefully, and lands beside Aya panting subtly. Both of his eyes are bleeding profusely which is a sign of a huge struggle._

 _"What the- Itachi, what the hell is going on?!" Aya shrieks at the sight of the two of them._

 _"I am not sure. Something attacked us in the woods. Not even my ameterasu could harm it. It injured Kisame badly and since none of our techniques are working on it we tried to flee. It is persistent though." Itachi says seeming grim._

 _"Persistent isn't what I'd say. Absolutely bent on making us dinner is more like it. Who is this woman Itachi? You seem to know her." Kisame says holding himself up with his sword. His side has is covered in blood surrounding a large tear in his cloak but it's hard to tell the true extent of the wound._

 _"She is my healer." Itachi answers._

 _"Really? Well it seems you have gotten_ very _well acquainted with her. Unless of course she sees other people in such a remote area that could have knocked her up." Kisame says with a sly grin. I really didn't like that guy and now I remember why._

 _"Kisame," Itachi grinds out, "now is not the time. It's approaching."_

 _"Honestly. I did tell you to be careful in the blasted woods didn't I? I distinctly remember doing so. Stand back both of you." Aya says in a very irritated voice as she steps in front of the two._

 _"What? Aya, you cannot honestly expect me to stand by and allow you to-" Itachi argued immediately._

 _Aya whirls on him and jabs a finger in his direction as she speaks, "I expect you to sit down and shut up! This is a delicate situation that could have easily been avoided if you LISTENED to me. But since you didn't, and now both of you are injured I have to handle it. The enemy you have attracted would have killed you eventually anyway!"_

 _She then snaps her attention back to the beast that is just now breaking the tree line. When it come into view I am shocked beyond belief. It appears to be some sort of reptile, it has fins and scales puffed up all over it, but it is enormous. Bigger than any other natural reptile I have ever seen. It has long razor sharp fangs and claws that drip with blood and some sort of green substance that I assume is venom._

 _"Aya it will kill you! Run please!" Itachi says in the most desperate voice I have ever heard from him. He tries to move forward but Aya throws a knitting needle at him which buries itself into his shoe holding him in place and narrowly missing his toes._

 _"I said to stay put." She snarls ferally. Her pupils have narrowed to animalistic slits. Even shark-face gulps._

 _"Uh Itachi maybe you should listen." Kisame says slowly._

 _Of course my brother being my brother he doesn't listen and starts trying to free himself. The knitting needle won't come free of the earth for some reason so he resorts to trying to get his shoe off. The beast charges them but Aya manages to redirect it using it's own force. She grimaces and puts a hand to her swollen stomach before collecting herself and starting to weave signs. Her speed is nowhere near Itachi's but it is still decent which shows that she has received some form of shinobi training._

 _She weaves signs for a few good seconds warily eying the beast who has enough time to stand while she weaves. She thrusts her arms out and both of her Marks fiercely glow._

 _"Sacred Fire Style: Beast Unison Seal!" She yells. Purplish blue flames swirl arond her body and seem to adhere to her skin covering her in elaborate flame like markings. Her muscles twitch and writhe as she grows in size a bit. A salamander's tail grows and is nearly the length of her body. Her claws sharpen and lengthen as do her teeth and they now excrete a venom as well, one that is the same color as her fire tattoos, and burns the grass it touches to ash on contact._

 _Everyone, including Naruto and I watch the transformation with awe, Itachi even halts his escape attempt._

 _She gets down on all fours and hisses at the beast her tail lashing. It hisses back but appears to back up. It circles the three in the clearing, looking for an opening to attack. Aya follows it's every move and keeps herself positioned between the reptile and the two injured Akatsuki at all times. The beast seems to consider a fight for a moment but finally hisses one more time then runs off._

 _Aya nods once then stands back up, "Beast Unison Seal, release!" She yells. The flames lift from her skin and retreat back into her beast mark. She wraps an arm around her pregnant stomach and promptly collapses to her knees panting._

 _"Yea! That's what you get you stupid over grown lizard! Run home to your mommy!" Kisame yells vehemently._

 _Itachi finally tears himself free of the knitting needle and goes to Aya, "Are you hurt? Is the baby okay?"_

 _"I'm fine. The baby is fine. Just used to much chakra." She sighs out._

 _He puts both hands on her shoulders and gives her a firm shake, "What were you thinking? You are seven months pregnant. If that thing hadn't decided to leave it would have killed you and the baby!"_

 _"First of all, you're welcome, because I just saved you from being eaten alive! Secondly that mountain lizard can't hurt me like it can you! The most it can do is slice me up! I am immune to it's venom! Thirdly, it didn't decide to leave I fucking told it to and it wisely LISTENED unlike you, you ASS! And finally, let me remind you that I TOLD you to STAY OUT of that wing of this forest!" She says punctuating her venomous words with pokes to his chest._

 _"Wow Itachi, never thought I'd see you take such a tongue lashing laying down. You must be pretty whip-" Kisame says before being interrupted by the enraged pregnant woman._

 _"Shut the FUCK up you pathetic, petulant, asinine, childish GUPPY!" She snaps at him, "we are having a fucking conversation!"_

 _I suppress laughter. Pregnancy hormones are wild and Itachi looks totally confused by her behavior. He even takes a step back from her for safety._

 _"Aya are you.. okay?" He asks carefully._

 _"No! No I am not! It's like you don't even realize him much danger you were in! Y-You could have been...!" She wails before bursting into tears and hugging him._

 _My poor brother has no clue what to do so he just slowly rubs her back, "I am fine though nothing to worry about."_

 _"Liar. I can hear your lungs you know. Come on. Lets get you and the fishy guy patched up." She said raising slowly and stretching her back._

 _Kisame hauls himself up and uses his sword to keep himself steady, "about time."_

 _Itachi stays keeled on the ground where he is._

 _"Come on. You're going to catch cold." Aya says._

 _He looks up at her, "about that... I am afraid the adrenaline boost I had before has left me. I do not think I can stand on my own."_

 _She rolled her eyes, "you could've asked for help you know." She states as she puts his arm over her shoulders and helps him up._

 _"Hn." He replies, "Are you sure you can manage this?"_

 _"Who else is going to help your sorry butt to the house? Him?" She says gesturing to Kisame, "He can't even walk on his own. Besides which, I may be pregnant, but I'm also not fully human and I'm not an invalid so shut it and walk."_

 _He kept quiet the rest of the way and she lays him down on the bed. She then helped Kisame get settled on a sofa once she had it wrapped in towels to keep the staining to a minimum._

 _"Alright then, I will have to start with you." She says to Kisame, "because you got slashed so your life is in the most immediate danger."_

 _"Don't be ridiculous. This wound isn't fatal. It is annoying though so if you could heal it that be great." Kisame says._

 _"The wound itself may not be fatal, but the poison most certainly is. Now was it a tooth or a claw?" Aya snips._

 _"Claw." Kisame states seeming paler._

 _She goes to work healing him and makes him take of his cloak and the mail shirt underneath so she can treat the wound properly. She gives him a shot of antivenom, draws what she can of the poison out and stitches up the wound. Somewhere in between all that he passed out from the effects of the poison. She tries to get him to respond but he doesn't so she wraps his wound and then moves to Itachi._

 _"How is he?" Itachi asks._

 _"Not good. I can't wake him up. I may have been too late with the antidote. Seems the stubborn type though, he could still pull through. Right now all I can do is keep the fever at a safe level, treat the wound and hope for the best." She replies grimly._

 _Itachi stares into the distance for a long time while she gathers the things she needs to do a treatment on him._

 _"I have never seen you so angry as you were before." Itachi says softly, "not even in your memories."_

 _"I have never had a reason to be so. I can solidly blame part of it on the mood swings I have had from time to time with this pregnancy. But it was also because I panicked when I saw you. I may be holding your disease at bay, but that doesn't mean you are 100% healthy. Your systems are still weakened from the constant battle. If you had gotten a singe scratch from that mountain lizard, the poison would have overwhelmed you much quicker than a normal person and you would've been beyond my help. That's why I told you to stay away from their side of the forest." She explains. She doesn't turn to face him, but the quiver in her voice betrays how shaken she truly is._

 _"I apologize. I did not mean to scare you. I will heed your warning from now on." He says sincerely._

 _"Good" she says with a nod._

 _"Can you tell me more about that thing? It was immune to both genjutsu and ninjutsu from what I could tell." Itachi says._

 _She continues her silent preparations for a while and I begin to think that she is going to ignore that question. Right when he turns away not expecting a response she answers, "They are by-products of the moon flower farming. They used to be mostly harmless Komodo dragons, however, when the moon flower patch here got thick enough and the chakra began to constantly blanket this forest, particularly the area I warned you about, the animals around here were affected in strange ways just like my clan was. For the most part, the effects over time were similar to the effects on my clan, slow metabolic rates, longer life span, a greater frequency in natural genetic mutations, and a calming effect that made the animals less aggressive. This was true for all of them except the Komodo dragons. No one was ever able to figure out why, but they were mutated almost beyond recognition into a totally new species. It was gradual, but eventually they became much bigger. About ten fold their normal size. The smallest of them now is the size of a horse while the largest can grow to be the size of a small house. They are very quick for their size and they are flexible. As you found out, their scales are so hard, the most ninjutsu and weapons bounce off them harmlessly unless you can get to the chink in their armor which is nearly impossible because it is on the underside of their body where their reproductive organs are. They have to be beaten down with blunt force for the most part, something few people can accomplish. In addition, though they may not appear to be, the lizards are totally blind. They have no need for sight given how acute their other senses are. The only thing they evolved that was close to the norm was their venom. It is a less aggressive version of Okami venom but it is still lethal. They are very territorial but other than to defend their territory, they will rarely attack anyone."_

 _He makes a thoughtful noise. After that, she performs her jutsu on him, and collapses from exhaustion directly following It making the memory swim and transform into the following morning. When she wake up he is already awake and sitting up in the bed watching out the window. She pushes herself up._

 _"How are you feeling?" She says as she lays a hand over his._

 _"Better. Thank you. My eyes have not cleared up from yesterday though. It is troubling." Itachi answers._

 _"How bad is it?" She asks with a scowl._

 _He looks at her but if you were searching in his eyes, you wouldn't be able to tell that his vision was less than perfect, "without my sharingan active I cannot make out anything but blurry shapes. With my sharingan I can still make out some details but it's still fuzzy."_

 _"You are normally very careful with those eyes. You were reckless." She reprimands. She stands and goes to her medicine cabinet pulling out a jar of some kind of ointment which she proceeds to lather on both hands before walking back other to Itachi, "Come here, let me see what I can do."_

 _He eyes her skeptically but offers no argument and leans forward. She puts her hands on both his temples near his eyes and starts whispering. The ointment and her Marks begin to glow brightly and stay that way for a few seconds before she releases the jutsu and lowers her hands._

 _"Open them." She orders._

 _He does and blinks a few times, "It is a little better."_

 _"The damage is mostly irreparable. But I found some salvageable areas. I also placed a protective coating of my chakra over the undamaged areas to slow the progression of the blindness. Don't worry, it won't affect funtionality." She says with a smile._

 _"Thank you." He says sincerely._

 _She nods, "Anytime. I should go check on your friend." She says cleaning the ointment of her hands with a towel._

 _"Friend is a strong word. I would not use It to describe Kisame. He is my partner, and I respect his strength but that's it." Itachi says as he stands to follow. He shrugs on his Akatsuki cloak as he goes._

 _Aya kneels beside Kisame and gently shakes him, "Hey fishy. Wake up."_

 _He groans and wakes slowly, "What's goin on. Why'd you wake me Itachi? It's not my turn to take watch."_

 _Aya sighs and looks up at Itachi, "Is he normally like this when he wakes up or should I assume he is delirious?"_

 _"He is definitely delirious. The Kisame I know would have had sharkskin at your throat_ _in a second just for shaking him. Go back to sleep Kisame. I will take watch." Says Itachi directing the last part towards fish-face._

 _Kisame grumbles but quickly complies._

 _"This isn't good. What will you do? You can't leave with him like this." She says._

 _"We were on a mission. It must be completed in time. Otherwise, leader will send someone to investigate our location. I had planned to leave Kisame in the woods, come here to check on you and get treated and then leave again... I cannot afford to wait. If someone else from the Akatsuki comes and finds you in your condition you'll be killed on the spot. I will have to go and complete the mission without him. It is a half a day from here if I run. The mission is a simple assassination, but I will have to avoid the guards more carefully without someone to watch my back. I will leave him here under your care and return for him once I have completed my mission. It should be no more than two days." Itachi says reasoning as he goes._

 _She scowls, "He isn't going to wake up and rip my throat out is he?"_

 _"No. I think not." Itachi says in a bemused tone._

 _"You think or you know," she asks with a raised eyebrow._

 _"Just don't touch him when you try to wake him. Calling his name is enough." Itachi says as he gathers his gear._

 _"Noted. Be careful." She says._

 _He smiles at her slightly, "I think your the only person in the world who could be concerned for the safety of murderers."_

 _She shrugs, "I'm one of a kind then I guess."_

 _He pokes her in her forehead with his index and middle finger, "Don't worry."_

 _With that he swiftly leaves the pregnant woman and his ill partner behind._

 _The memory shifts only slightly to his return. Aya is holding her hands over Kisame's chest with medical chakra glowing from her hands and concentration etched into her soft features. Itachi enters the house but upon seeing her so deeply concentrated on her work, he stays as quiet as possible and does not announce his presence._

 _"There how does that feel? Easier to breathe?" She asks in a curt tone._

 _"Yes." Kisame answers._

 _"Good. Are you having any dizziness, blurred vision, aches, or chills?' Aya questions._

 _"No, not anymore." He replies._

 _"Alright. It is safe to say the poison is cleared out of your system. But take it easy for a few more days. Your chakra and physical strength will take a little longer to fully recuperate." She says, "Itachi should be back soon."_

 _"I still can't believe he left me here" Kisame grumbles._

 _"It was either that or drag you to your certain death. You were much too disoriented to even carry on a conversation, mush less perform a sensitive mission." Itachi says from his place leaning on the doorframe._

 _Aya jumps a bit, having been frightened, but then grins happily and trots over to Itachi, "You're back."_

 _He nods once._

 _"Are you hurt?" She asks._

 _"No." He says simply putting on an indifferent mask in front of his partner, "is Kisame and good health?"_

 _"I'm fine" growls the shark._

 _Aya does not seem bothered by Itachi's indifference, though she probably realized that if was feigned the moment he tried it on her, "I wouldn't say fine shark face. You should still rest a few more days before any intense activity. You took in quite a large amount of venom. But, he is no longer in any mortal danger if that's what you mean."_

 _"Thank you for your services. Kisame, we shall leave now." Itachi says turning to do so._

 _"Wait just a second Itachi." Says Kisame._

 _Itachi slowly turns to face the fish with an annoyed look. Aya frowns and puts more space between herself and the rogue mist nin who is eyeing her baby bump._

 _"Is that," Kisame begins pointing at Aya's pregnant belly, "yours?"_

 _"No." Itachi answers monotonous. Aya flinches so subtly most people wouldn't have even noticed it._

 _"Really? Because I vaguely remember you being quite worried for her safety. And her being quite worried for yours. And a bunch of other strange behavior." Kisame says skeptically._

 _Itachi must have been counting on the venom whipping his memory completely but very quickly reassessed the situation and tries again, "Kisame, are you sure you weren't delusional? I know for sure you are now if you are suggesting I would engage in such activities as those with my healer. Perhaps we should rest a bit longer so you may regain your wits."_

 _Aya, to her credit, doesn't get upset at his denial and in fact helps him, "Your suspicions are pointless. I see many patients, even all the way up here. Truth be told, I am not sure who is this baby's father. But I am sure that it's not this man."_

 _Kisame looks between the two suspiciously then just sighs, "Well I guess it was a bit foolish to think you of all people were capable of it Itachi. But seriously, why would you choose a slut like her to be your healer?"_

 _Itachi's eyes flash with anger and he clenched his fists but but signs of his irritation vanish in seconds, "We are leaving." He says as he turns to do so._

 _Kisame rolls his eyes but follows anyway._

 _Aya waves pleasantly, "See you next time, Itachi."_

 _"I do not feel my best as of the moment. I shall try to come a month earlier than normal." Itachi replies. This earns him a suspicious glare from his companion, but whatever Kisame was thinking, he had the wits not to say it while standing so close to Itachi. The real reason why Itachi wanted to come earlier was as unmistakable as Aya's pregnancy. He wanted to be present at or around the time of his child's birth._

 _Aya just nods holding her dazzling smile, "Of course. The more frequently you can get here the better."_

 _He leaves after that and Aya lays a hand on her belly, "Your daddy is trying very hard for you little one. I wish we could all be together."_

 _She had a look of sadness that made my heart clench._

 _The memory swims once more and I glance down at the girl. I almost jump when I see her sharingan glowing and glazed with the same sadness as her mother's._

 _"You don't have to show us anymore if you don't want to. We both believe you. Right Sasuke?" Naruto says placing a hand on Tsubaki's shoulder._

 _I nod once._

 _"There is more that I need to show you. It is not a matter of whether or not you believe me anymore." She says quietly, "And please do not touch me."_

 _Naruto frowns slightly and removes his hand, "Alright."_

 _I don't think either of us really understand why she wants to show us more but she does. She raises her arms and closes her eyes as she fishes for the next memory._


End file.
